AA.VV. - Album Amicorum - Dedica Amorosa - 1811

ALBUM AMICORUM - LOVE, ART, AND SYMBOLS: A delicately hand-painted manuscript
An elegant volume in which friends, acquaintances, professors, travelers, or characters met during the Grand Tour would leave a signature, a Latin motto, a poetic distich, a drawing, or a coat of arms. These were especially widespread in the German and Dutch areas (where they were called Stammbücher), but they also circulated widely in Italy among students, nobles, and cultured travelers.
A precious volume that combines the grace of 19th-century miniature art with the refinement of a high-quality binding. It is a manuscript of love dedications, enriched with color miniatures, blending poetic and allegorical elements in an intimate and personal register. The illustrations depict female figures, musical instruments, and floral ornaments, with signatures dated between 1811 and 1911, indicating a work cherished and passed down through multiple generations. A rare testament to German sentimental culture and Biedermeier decorative taste.
Market value
The value of an illustrated manuscript of this type, with decorated Moroccan binding and original miniatures, generally ranges between 800 and 1,500 euros, with potential increases in the presence of recognized artist signatures or noble provenance. The quality of the miniatures and the dual historical layers (first half of the 19th century and additions from the 20th century) enhance its collectible interest.

Physical description and condition
Full brown Morocco binding with gilded frame of leaf and floral motifs, with gold initials 'A.H.' at the center, some signs of use. Internals in excellent condition, fresh pages, with miniature colored illustrations: allegorical frontispiece featuring a female figure among clouds and floral garlands, dated 1811; another painted vignette depicting a cello under a blue sky, signed and dated 1911 by Kazimir Paszotta. Some handwritten notes of a loving dedication. Pages (4); 126.

Full title and author
Illustrated manuscript with a love dedication.
Germania, S.L., 1811–1911.
Various Authors

Context and Significance
This volume belongs to the genre of private collections of poetry, dedications, and love miniatures, very common in German-speaking countries between the 18th and 19th centuries. Often created as gifts or keepsakes, these manuscripts combined personal writing with ornamental art, creating unique objects that are halfway between a book and a sentimental relic. The addition of a painted panel in 1911 testifies to the vitality of this tradition and the transmission of the book as a symbol of family affection. The images — celestial female figures, musical instruments, floral garlands — evoke an allegorical language that celebrates harmony, love, and private devotion.

Brief biography of the author
It is not attributed to a specific author, but rather is a collective and private manuscript. However, the miniature from 1911 is signed by Kazimir Paszotta, an artist active in Central Europe in the early twentieth century, known for his decorative works and miniature pieces on occasion.

Printing history and circulation
Being an illustrated manuscript, it does not have a true printing history. It is a unique copy, probably created as a personal gift in 1811 and enriched a century later. These artifacts were intended to circulate within a strictly private sphere, among families and lovers, and were not meant for editorial dissemination.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
Directories of friendship albums and books of sentimental dedications (Stammbücher, Freundschaftsalben).
Krause, M., 'The Family Book: Images and Dedications from Three Centuries,' Leipzig, 1987.
German and Austrian antique catalogs on illuminated manuscripts with love dedications.
Minor European Art Repertoire of the 19th Century (Biedermeier and Romanticism).